Standard Chartered Says It Isn't Falling Behind In China
- The chief executive of emerging-markets bank Standard Chartered PLC (STAN.LN) said it isn't falling behind other foreign banks in the race for the China market just because it hasn't yet made a strategic investment in a local outfit.
"We will invest in banks when we think the opportunity is right. We are making progress on a number of fronts, we have had lots of talks in China," Mervyn Davies told a press conference.
"But it's not just about taking a minority stake in a Chinese bank, it's also about applying for licenses, expanding our branch footprint, and building infrastructure," he said. "Organic growth...is just as important as buying stakes in Chinese banks."
Peter Wong, chief executive of the newly incorporated Hong Kong unit Standard Chartered Bank (HK) Ltd., said repeatedly that "there is no timetable" on its discussions about partnerships with mainland China banks.
Local press have reported Standard Chartered is in talks to buy a stake in China Everbright Bank Co. (CEVER.YY), but Davies would neither confirm nor deny that. "I have no comment to make on Everbright," he said when asked about the reports.
Rival HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) is in talks to acquire 19.9% of state-owned Bank of Communications, China's fifth-largest lender. HSBC already owns an 8% stake in Bank of Shanghai, and through its Hang Seng Bank unit a 16% stake in Fujian-based Industrial Bank Co.
While saying that "We will, when the time is right, invest in a Chinese bank," Davies defended what he called Standard Chartered's steady and consistent strategy in China.
"You have to play a long game in China. I don't think there is any big first-mover advantage," Davies said. "I don't think we are falling behind in terms of opportunities."
But while defending the merits of organic growth, Davies did admit that Standard Chartered, like other foreign banks operating in China, faces restrictions on how quickly it can expand.
"We've got all the branches and all licenses that we can within reason get. There are restrictions on the number of branches you can open on an annual basis," he said.
Davies said that while the bank's wholesale business in China is strong, he wants to focus on developing the retail side, which will require more branches. He said major areas of focus in China would be wealth management, credit cards and lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Davies and other executives were speaking at a ceremony to announce the new board of directors for its Hong Kong unit, which is now a locally incorporated licensed bank. Hong Kong is Standard Chartered's largest market, he said, accounting for about a third of its business.
渣打银行称在拓展中国大陆业务方面没有落后
渣打银行(Standard Chartered PLC, STAN.LN)行政总裁表示，不能因为该银行还没有向中国大陆的银行进行战略投资就认为他们在争夺大陆市场的竞赛中落后于其他外资银行。
渣打银行政总裁戴维思(Mervyn Davies)在一个新闻发布会上表示，他们会在自己认为合适的时机投资大陆的银行。他们目前已与中国大陆的许多银行进行了商谈，其中已取得了不少进展。
戴维思表示，上述商谈的内容并不只是获得某家中国大陆银行的少量股权，还包括申请获得开设分支机构拓展业务的许可证。他认为进行自身的有机扩张与收购中国大陆银行的股权同样重要。
渣打银行刚成立的香港子公司香港渣打银行(Standard Chartered Bank (HK) Ltd.)总经理王冬胜(Peter Wong)也表示，目前还没有与中国大陆银行建立合作关系的时间表。
中国大陆媒体之前曾有报导称，渣打银行正商谈购买中国光大银行(China Everbright Bank Co., CEVER.YY)部分股权事宜。但戴维思既没有承认也没有否认，在被问道上述事宜时，他表示不会发表评论。
渣打银行的竞争对手汇丰控股有限公司(HSBC Holdings PLC, HBC, 简称：汇丰控股)目前正就收购中国第五大国有银行交通银行(Bank of Communications)19.9%股权事宜进行协商。汇丰控股已拥有上海银行(Bank of Shanghai)8%的股权，该银行子公司恒生银行(Hang Seng Bank)还拥有兴业银行(Industrial Bank Co.)16%的股权。
在说到渣打银行会在时机成熟时投资一家中国大陆银行时，戴维思也为他所称的渣打银行在中国大陆稳定及连贯的战略进行了辩解。
他表示，在中国大陆开展业务是一项长期行为。他不认为存在什么先行优势，他也不认为渣打银行失去了什么机会。
但在为有机增长的优点进行辩护时，戴维思也承认，渣打银行和许多在中国开展业务的外资银行一样，面临业务扩张速度方面的限制。
戴维思表示，渣打银行在中国大陆的公司业务表现强劲，但他希望将经营重点放在个人业务上，而这需要开设更多分支机构。他表示，该银行在中国主要关注的业务领域为理财、信用卡及向中小型企业提供的贷款。
戴维思及其他一些管理人员是在公布香港渣打银行新董事会的典礼上作出上述讲话的。香港是渣打银行最大的市场，占其业务总量的三分之一左右。
